Black Knight (Arthurian legend)
Encyclopedia
The Black Knight is the title given to several characters in Western literature
. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval
. Perceval defeated the black knight and explained that it was an innocent exchange.
A Black Knight is also is the son of Tom a'Lincoln
and Anglitora (the daughter of Prester John
) in Richard Johnson
's Arthurian romance
, Tom a'Lincoln. Through Tom, he is thus a grandson of King Arthur
, though his proper name is never given. He killed his mother after hearing from his father's ghost that she had murdered him. He later joined the Faerie Knight
, his half-brother, in adventures.
A black knight is also mentioned as being killed by Gareth
when he was traveling to rescue Lyonesse
.
In the novel Ivanhoe
, one of the characters is an unknown black knight who fights alongside Ivanhoe in a tournament and helps assault Front-de-Boeuf's castle. He is later revealed to be King Richard I.
The Arthurian black knight has survived past its appearance in the medieval Arthurian romances. A giant knight, clad in black named Orgoglio (Pride) appears in The Faerie Queene
by Edmund Spenser
, whom Prince Arthur kills after first severing his arms and legs. Consequently, this black knight is part of a genre trope lampooned by the scene with the black knight
in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
. In Conquests of Camelot
the Black Knight of Glastonbury
was a spirit that held Sir Gawain captive.
Western literature
Western literature refers to the literature written in the languages of Europe, including the ones belonging to the Indo-European language family as well as several geographically or historically related languages such as Basque, Hungarian, and so forth...
. In Arthurian legend he is a knight who tied his wife to a tree after hearing she had exchanged rings with Perceval
Percival
Percival or Perceval is one of King Arthur's legendary Knights of the Round Table. In Welsh literature his story is allotted to the historical Peredur...
. Perceval defeated the black knight and explained that it was an innocent exchange.
A Black Knight is also is the son of Tom a'Lincoln
Tom a'Lincoln
Tom a Lincoln is a romance by the English writer Richard Johnson, published in two parts in 1599 and 1607. The principal character, Tom, is a bastard son of King Arthur and a girl named Angelica...
and Anglitora (the daughter of Prester John
Prester John
The legends of Prester John were popular in Europe from the 12th through the 17th centuries, and told of a Christian patriarch and king said to rule over a Christian nation lost amidst the Muslims and pagans in the Orient. Written accounts of this kingdom are variegated collections of medieval...
) in Richard Johnson
Richard Johnson (16th century)
Richard Johnson was an English romance writer. He was baptized in London on May 4, 1573. His most famous work is The Famous Historie of the Seaven Champions of Christendom . The success of this book was so great that the author added a second and a third part in 1608 and 1616...
's Arthurian romance
Romance (genre)
As a literary genre of high culture, romance or chivalric romance is a style of heroic prose and verse narrative that was popular in the aristocratic circles of High Medieval and Early Modern Europe. They were fantastic stories about marvel-filled adventures, often of a knight errant portrayed as...
, Tom a'Lincoln. Through Tom, he is thus a grandson of King Arthur
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader of the late 5th and early 6th centuries, who, according to Medieval histories and romances, led the defence of Britain against Saxon invaders in the early 6th century. The details of Arthur's story are mainly composed of folklore and literary invention, and...
, though his proper name is never given. He killed his mother after hearing from his father's ghost that she had murdered him. He later joined the Faerie Knight
Faerie Knight
The Faerie Knight was, in the Matter of Britain, a bastard son of Tom a'Lincoln and Caelia, the Faerie Queen. His proper name is never given. He appears in Richard Johnson's romance Tom a' Lincoln....
, his half-brother, in adventures.
A black knight is also mentioned as being killed by Gareth
Gareth
Sir Gareth was a Knight of the Round Table in Arthurian Legend. He was the youngest son of Lot and of Morgause, King Arthur's half-sister, thus making him Arthur's nephew, as well as brother to Gawain, Agravain, Gaheris, and half brother of Mordred...
when he was traveling to rescue Lyonesse
Lynette and Lyonesse
In the Arthurian Legend, Lynette is a woman who travels to King Arthur's court to seek help for her beautiful sister Lyonesse , whose lands are under siege by the Red Knight of the Red Lands.Since Lynette refuses to reveal her name for reasons which are not...
.
In the novel Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe
Ivanhoe is a historical fiction novel by Sir Walter Scott in 1819, and set in 12th-century England. Ivanhoe is sometimes credited for increasing interest in Romanticism and Medievalism; John Henry Newman claimed Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the middle ages," while...
, one of the characters is an unknown black knight who fights alongside Ivanhoe in a tournament and helps assault Front-de-Boeuf's castle. He is later revealed to be King Richard I.
The Arthurian black knight has survived past its appearance in the medieval Arthurian romances. A giant knight, clad in black named Orgoglio (Pride) appears in The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene
The Faerie Queene is an incomplete English epic poem by Edmund Spenser. The first half was published in 1590, and a second installment was published in 1596. The Faerie Queene is notable for its form: it was the first work written in Spenserian stanza and is one of the longest poems in the English...
by Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser
Edmund Spenser was an English poet best known for The Faerie Queene, an epic poem and fantastical allegory celebrating the Tudor dynasty and Elizabeth I. He is recognised as one of the premier craftsmen of Modern English verse in its infancy, and one of the greatest poets in the English...
, whom Prince Arthur kills after first severing his arms and legs. Consequently, this black knight is part of a genre trope lampooned by the scene with the black knight
Black Knight (Monty Python)
The Black Knight is a fictional character who appears in a scene of the film Monty Python and the Holy Grail. As his name suggests, he is a black knight who guards a "bridge" over a small stream, for unknown reasons...
in Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Monty Python and the Holy Grail is a 1974 British comedy film written and performed by the comedy group Monty Python , and directed by Gilliam and Jones...
. In Conquests of Camelot
Conquests of Camelot
Conquests of Camelot: The Search for the Grail is a graphic adventure game released in 1989 by Sierra. It was the first game in the Conquests series designed by Christy Marx and her husband Peter Ledger. The only other game in the series was 1992's Conquests of the Longbow: The Legend of Robin Hood...
the Black Knight of Glastonbury
Glastonbury
Glastonbury is a small town in Somerset, England, situated at a dry point on the low lying Somerset Levels, south of Bristol. The town, which is in the Mendip district, had a population of 8,784 in the 2001 census...
was a spirit that held Sir Gawain captive.